Ballooning
Ballooning is a ball flight that shoots steeply upward and therefore loses a lot of distance.
With ballooning, the stroke turns into a vertical balloon launch instead of a flat, penetrating flight. The most common cause is a ball teed too high in combination with a stroke that catches the ball from below. A club with too much loft, a too soft shaft or excessive backspin also drive the ball upwards. Energy that goes into height is missing from length. Against the wind the problem becomes even bigger, because the steeply rising ball practically stands still.
On the course you recognise ballooning immediately by the trajectory and the sound. An example: your drive sounds hollow, the ball rises almost vertically, peaks early and falls almost plumb back onto the fairway without rolling out noticeably. Instead of 220 metres, the meter shows 170. The simplest correction is to tee the tee flatter, so that about half of the ball surface rises above the clubhead. If that does not help, it is worth looking at swing speed and shaft — too soft shafts increase the dynamic loft at impact.
A typical mistake is the attempt to solve the problem with even more upward swing. Whoever wants to “help the ball up” only makes the balloon flight worse. Equally popular: the ball too far forward in the stance, so that the club strikes it on the way up. Position the ball with the driver opposite the left heel, swing flat through and trust the loft of the club. A penetrating, slightly rising flight brings more distance on almost every course than the spectacular high flight.
FAQ
How do I get rid of the balloon flight with the drive?
The simplest immediate measure is to tee the ball flatter, so that only about half of the ball surface rises above the clubhead. Also position the ball opposite the left heel and swing flat through impact instead of wanting to help the ball up. In most cases ballooning is history with that.
Can the shaft of my driver cause ballooning?
Yes, a shaft too soft for your swing speed increases the dynamic loft at impact and sends the ball steeply upwards. If tee height and technique are right but the ball still balloons, a shaft check at the fitting is worthwhile. A suitable, slightly stiffer shaft visibly flattens the flight.
Is not a high ball flight actually good for distance?
Only up to a certain degree, after that the ratio tips over. Energy that goes into height is missing from length, and a too steeply rising ball falls back almost plumb without rolling out. Against the wind it gets even worse, because the high ball practically stands still. A penetrating, only slightly rising flight brings more distance on almost every course.